THE COURIER.
H...
s r
MS
fl
h"
.4
Hliould sec, but we should not long see
the W. 0. T. U., for that would pass
swiftly out of existence in a tumult of
popular execration." Itwutild scarce
ly pass away, in spite of what Mr.
Martin says, for that deathless con
viction which animates tlioW.O.T.
U. is of the same quality that the in
quisition tried toobllterate and failed.
Nothing is so hopelessly pereunlal as
that same spirit. A popular outbreak
against it would encourage the mem
bers and but deepen their belief that
the world has gone wrong from drink
Hut neither temperance, nor unsel
fishness, nor ehastity, nor honor, can
if they can kill a queen first. But
Queen Victoria's health demands th,.t
she shall not spend Marcli in England
so she has spent it in the south of
France for many years. Being a
woman as well as a queen, she is not
easily thwarted nor turned aside from
a custom she has set her royal seal of
approval upon. So she is now in the
Riviera, preceded, followed and
Hanked by sleuths with a special train
ing in anarchists and assassins. It is
said of the French detective that he
can invariably pick out an anarchist
from other vagabonds, and aided by
the laws of Franco, whlnh. likn Mmsn
j .. ---.., ...BV VB4VUVS
Susan B. Anthony, vice president-at
large. At the close of the three years'
term Mrs. May Wright Sewall was
elected president and preeided over that
memorable woman's congress at the
world's fair, whose daily sessions were
attended by 10,000 people Mary Lowe
Dickens was elected third president, but
failing health compelled her to resign,
and Mrs. Sewall was again elected, and
took upon herself the herculean duties
of the office, ably assisted by the Rev.
Anna Shaw, vico presidentaMargo.
bo legislated into a neonln. Tim :ikv. nt Unuui., . un..i..ii.. .w
lums and penitentiaries of Maine and tect society from anarchists, the good
Iowa arc as full as those of anv other nunnn i mnUv in mn ,i
- - - .....J ... 1IUUIU UttllUI.
state, though the prohibitionists
claim on the platform that nine-tenths
of the lunacy and ninety-nine one
hundredths of crime is the direct re
sult of tlie whiskey habit.
It is the same thing as the question
of our childhood: If God is good and
He made us and if He hates sin, why
is It easier to do evil than good? Not
being a connoisseur in virtue, the
child has no especial repugnance to a
penitentiary goodness for fear of pun
ishment and because evil 1ms been
made impossible. The poor child,
whose liberty and free will is con
stricted all the time, does not detect
the fine flavour of a virtuous action
performed while the devil is close at
hand offering bribes for the choice of
evil. Even goodness to be of worth
must be of free will and temperance,
which is only part of goodness, must
be from choice. If the prohibitionists
would consent to use some of their
energy on the saloonkeeper who breaks
the law by selling to minors and at
unlawtul hours, the communiiy could
be dragged sooner to that point where
the evil could, by common consent, be
removed from onr midst. But all the
tremendous and irrepressible, but not
so far, irresistible energy, lias ex
pended itself without strategy on the
points of greatest strengtli and the
results are meagre. They will not do
the good they can because of what
they would.
The execution of Mrs. Place for a
cold-blooded murder was shocking,
but if tiie deatli penalty is justifiable
at all, it was in her caso. If Governor
Roosevelt had pardoned her on the
score of her sex, such an action would
have been condemned by ail women
who are not controlled by supersenti
mentalism, and, after all, they are not
many.
She was not insane when she mur
dered her stepdaughter but she was
crazed bjr jealousy and rage. The long
months of reflection in a cell have re
lined her and the sheriff entered to
lead her to the horrible chair, she
took his arm without a murmur, and
with an unaccustomed gentleness. It
was impossible to keep from reading
ot the terrified woman's walk to the
chair clinging to the sheriff's arm
And in reading it to be overcome with
pity of her terror and anguish and to
be glad that there were women there
who also looked upon her pityingly.
Municipal ownership of public fran
clilscs is a principle held by as many
republicans as f usionlsts. The owner
ship of the streets and the highways
used to be vested in the king and the
king was the people in one annointed
person. The king's highway is, in
America, the people's highway, and
they cannot give away their rights in
perpetuity to an individual or corpo
ration because highway rights are
strictly entailed. They descend from
one generation to another and pur
chasers must take their own risks of
the next generation objecting to the
sale.
HIIIHI
z
Ml I MM
(SLEB8-
LOUISA L RICKETT8.
mm in
Following are the officers of the Gen
eral Federation of Women's clubs:
President Mrs. Rebecca D. Lowe
Atlanta, Ga.
Vice President Mrs. Sarah S. Piatt,
Denver, Colo.
Recording Secretary Mrs. Emma A.
Fox, Detroit, Mich.
Corresponding Secretary Mrs.George
W. Kendriek, Philadelphia, Pa.
Treasurer, Mrs. Phillip N. Moore, St.
Louitj, Mo.
Auditor Mrs. C. P. Barnes, LouiB
ville, Ky..
State Chairman Mrs. Louisa L. Rick
etts, Lincoln, Nebr,
Officers of the State Federation of
Women's clubs;
President Mrs. S. 0. Langworthy,
Seward.
Vice President Mrs. Anna L. Apppr
son, Tecumseh.
Recording Secretary Mrs.F. H. Sack
ott, Weeping Water.
Corresponding Secretary Mrs D. G.
McKillip, Seward.
Treasurer Mrs. H. F. Doane, Crete,
Librarian Mrs. G. M. Lambertson,
Lincoln.
Since the organization of the National
Council of the Uhited States national
councils have been formed in France,
Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Ger
many, New Zealand, New South Wales,
Sweden and Great Britain. Tho Coun
cil of Canady, now including twenty
two councils of local character and
several national societies, was organized
in 1893. That of Germany, composed of
sixty-five federated societies, was or
ganized in 1894; those ot New Zealand
and New South Wales and Sweden, re
spectively, in 1896; that of Great Britain
in 1897. In Denmark, Holland, Fin
land and Italy councils are forming.
The president of the international
council has received word that steps are
being taken in Hawaii toward forming
a council, and the King of Siam has,
through a royal ambassador of that
country, officially communicated to the
president ot the national council of the
United States, who is vice president-at
large of the international council of
women, his desire that a council of
women be organized in his coantry.
There is no individual membership in
these national organizations, except
that by the payment of $100 a man or
woman may become a life patron with
full privileges, excepting that the man
pays bis money to listen. He can't talk
and he cannot vote. The list of such
patrons is long, comprising tha names of
nearly a 150 wealthy and influential men
and women.
The Courier has been sent free to
those secretaries of clubs reporting the
meetings to the paper. Hereafter it will
be sent only tj the regular subscribers,
though wo shall be very glad to receive
and print reports fiom club secretaries.
IEd. Courier
Since the empress of Austria's
The National Council of Women held
its third Triennial Council in Washing
ton February 1.3-18th inclusive. The
third week in February Washington
waB the Mecca of American women.
Three of the largest organizations of
the country held tneir national conven
tions there last week. The largest and
most representative was the National
Council of Women and in spile of the
severity of the weather it was one of the
most notable in the history of the move
ment. The National Council for Wom
en or the United States
as
sassination Queen Victoria lias been
nervous about her own safety. She
has gone to the Riviera surrounded by
detectives and policemen, and has
been re-enforced there by French
chiefs of police. Nevertheless, assas
sination has got on her nerves and she
is, for the first time in her life, afraid
of shadows, footsteps and the muflled
Knunrla minnnanrt tn lin ttttirln I,.. .
i. n.;;i ;;..rr.: .''. ""neuniteu States was formed in
The French government was not will-' tieth anniversafyoM'he first woLJs
ing to accept the responsibility of nro- rioM .. ' V7 . l 7 . " B
tecting her from anarchists and the Seneca Falls N r y In imJ-- i 'n a purpose for the betterment of the
cut throats who hold their life cheap E. Willard . J " ,, nCB! eTi' CODditlonB under which humanity
"" f"-""""" uu imorBioaay. u Drings simplicity and
The question is so often asked, "What
is the National Council and what good
purpose does it serve?'' We quote the
following from its ex-president, Mrs.
May Wright Sewall:
"It is an organization composed ot na
tional associations, stato councils and
local councils," Mrs. Sewall explained.
"Its objects are manifold. FirBt, to
make better known to the general pub
lic the magnitude and variety of wom
an's work for humanity, to the end that
public sympalhj with the same may be
increased and a more generous public
support secured; to avoid the multipli
cation of organizations, each with a
special object, and thus to secure re
sults at less extravagant expenditure of
time, money and force; to bring together
women of all lines of work, to the end
that each may be more intelligent re
specting all the others, and consequent
ly more sympathetic with all others; to
give the united influence of all tese
women to such general lines of work aB
all can hoartilyagree upon.
"The national council never interferes
with the special lires of work of the
organization which constitute it, beyond
that of suggestion and smypathy, so
that no society voting to enter this coun
cil thereby renders itself liable to be
interfeered with in respect to its com
plete organic unity, independence, or
method of work.
"To sum it all up," said Mrs. Sewall,
in conclusion, "the advantages of the
council idea to womanhood and humani
ty, are: Greater unity of thought,
sympathy and purpose, among women
who find inspiration, breadth and re
lease from limitations, through the re
spect tbey learn to feel for work differ
ing radically from their own, yet like it
directness in the application of organiz
ed effort to any work that may be un
dertaken; a conservatism of strength
and time and an economy of expendi
ture. It has an advantage by the means
it provides for availing itself of the help
of men, which will lead to the ultimate
union of men and women in all organ
ized endeavors for tho improvement of
human conditions. I am firmly of the
opinion that the council idea, in its
state, national and international applica
tion, is the climax in the organization of
the moral forces of society by women."
The constitution of the national coun
cil provides that its triennial meetings
shall consist of two "houses." The presi
dent of each affiliated state council is a
member of the upper council (or houBe,)
in which originate ail measures relating
to national work. The one delegate
allowed to each state council sits in the
lower council (or house,) in which ori
ginate all measures relating to local
interests. Thus the state council be
comes a link between the national or
ganizations in the upper house and the
local councils in the lower house.
The council holds two kinds of meet
ings public sessions to discusB ques
tions of general interest in the lines of
work represented by the members of the
council, and business sessions, which
are open only to the president and one
representative from each of the national
organizations and from each state and
local council constituting the National
Council, to the general officers of the
National Council, to the members of the
cabinet, to the members of all standing
committees and to the patrons.
While the council has passed certain
resolutions in favor of certain reforms
of national Import, it cannot pledge it
self to any one cause.
"The eligibility to membership is wide,
for it takes in all organizations of wom
en which are national in either scope or
value. Many of the national organiza
tions are composed of both men and
women. They are all acceptable, but no
man can speak in the council delibera
tions, Becret or open. Seventeen na
tional organizations, two state councils
and six local councils, now comprise the
membership in the national organiza
tion. These represent something over
700,000 women, and they in turn, repre
sent religious, educational and social
reform, moral reform and civic reform
organizations. The national council
was not formed to promote either of
these causes, or any other one cause,
nor can it possibly be made to do so.
Each organization enrolled haB two
votes, no matter ho large or how small
its individual membership. The coun
cil can no more be committed to tern
perance or woman suffrage than it can '
be committed to the tenets of the Free
Baptist church, or to thoee of the repun
lican parly, though the Woman's For
eign Missionary society of the Free
Baptist church and the Woman's Re
publican association of the United
StatoB are members of the council.
"An organization is benefitted by en
tering the council chiefly through bring
ing its work before much larger audi
ences than it can if it works on alone.
The public meetings of each organiza
tion attract the attention only of those
interested in its objects, while the tri
ennial meetings of tho council bring to
gether audiences composed of moat in
telligent and devoted women working
along all lines. It is true, however, that
the national council of women has ofll
cially expressed itself upon soveral sub
jects. They have passed resolutions in
favor of equal educational advantages
for men and women, including the ad
mission of women to all existing institu
tions of learning, the provision of equal
opportunities for industrial training for
--,- uu K.nt) ana tae admission of
women to equality with men in the work
of the church of whatever denomina
tion, '
v
MBBCSr?4tt,1!-
